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Thomas Porteous is removed from office after being found guilty on corruption and perjury charges brought by the House. The vote on one count is unanimous. The Senate on Wednesday convicted a Louisiana federal judge on corruption and perjury charges, the first time in more than two decades the chamber has voted to remove a public official after an impeachment trial.

The 2012 presidential race may be off to a slow start - not a single Republican has announced his (or her) intentions to run - but aspiring GOP pols are falling all over themselves to get into Senate races nationwide.

Senior lawmakers said on Sunday they were optimistic about striking a deal to extend Bush-era tax cuts for all taxpayers and continue emergency jobless aid for millions of long-term unemployed Americans.

Republicans in the Senate on Saturday blocked Democratic legislation that would renew low tax rates for individuals' income up to $200,000 and families' income up to $250,000, letting them rise for the wealthiest.

Senate Republicans intend to block virtually all Democratic-backed legislation unrelated to tax cuts and government spending in Congress' postelection session, officials sayGOP Softens Stance on STARTObama Faces Pay Freeze BacklashBipartisan Panel to Negotiate Ta

The bill still needs to be reconciled with legislation passed by the House in July 2009, but the Senate action was hailed by advocates as a sign that the nation's food-safety laws will receive their first major overhaul in decades. After languishing for more than a year, a food-safety bill that has enjoyed strong bipartisan support passed the Senate on Tuesday, raising prospects for tougher and more extensive federal inspections and other safeguards.

It won’t be available for holiday gifts this year but U.S. Sen.-elect Rand Paul of Bowling Green is writing a book entitled “The Tea Party Goes to Washington.”

As Senator Lisa Murkowski flew home to Alaska on Wednesday, The Associated Press declared her the winner of her long-shot write-in bid for re-election. Neither the Murkowski campaign nor the campaign of her competitor, Joe Miller, a Tea Party favorite who was backed by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, made an immediate comment.

As Senate Republicans move to approve a two-year ban on earmarks, Sen. Tom Coburn is part of a bipartisan duo expected to challenge the move and will invite the full chamber to follow their lead.

The top Democratic and Republican Senate leadership will remain the same for the incoming 112th Congress.